Liverpool moved within touching distance of their 20th league championship after Virgil van Dijk’s dramatic 89th-minute header secured a crucial 2-1 victory over West Ham at Anfield.
The Dutch captain’s late intervention, just four minutes after the Hammers had equalized, prompted a rare emotional celebration from manager Arne Slot, who acknowledged his team’s good fortune in securing all three points.
“It was a big relief. Ali (goalkeeper Alisson Becker) made sure they didn’t score earlier, they had multiple chances,” admitted Slot, whose impressive record now stands at 36 wins from his first 50 matches in charge – seven better than Liverpool legends Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish managed at the same stage.
Mohamed Salah, fresh from signing a new contract extension, continued his exceptional season by setting up Luis Diaz’s 18th-minute opener. The assist marked Salah’s 45th Premier League goal involvement this season (27 goals, 18 assists) – the most by any player in a 38-game campaign.
However, it was Liverpool’s other key figures who ultimately made the difference. Alisson produced what Slot described as “probably his best game of the season” with several crucial saves, particularly in the second half when West Ham threatened to take control.
Van Dijk, who is reportedly set to sign a new two-year deal this week, recovered from the misfortune of deflecting the ball into his own net via Andy Robertson to power home the winner from a corner.
“As a manager what you are looking for is always the ones who have already achieved a lot in their career to step up in the most important moments,” Slot explained. “All three showed up.”
The victory means Liverpool now need just two more wins to secure the title in Slot’s debut season – a remarkable achievement for the Dutchman who replaced Jürgen Klopp last summer amid considerable skepticism from some supporters.
West Ham manager Graham Potter, despite seeing his team’s winless run extend to five matches, found positives in their performance: “The balance between defence and attack was good against a top team in an emotional environment. We showed resilience, which hasn’t always been there.”
